TEHRAN – A team of Iranian tour leaders has participated at the Expo 2020 Dubai, which is currently underway in the UAE, the deputy tourism minister has announced.

Fluent in English and Arabic, tour guides introduce visitors to the country’s attractions and tourism capacities, Ali-Asghar Shalbafian said, IRNA reported on Monday.

During the six months of the expo, they will also be in charge of guiding the visitors of the Iran Pavilion, the official added.

Visitors to the pavilion are offered to soak up the ancient land in terms of rituals, handicrafts, cultural heritage, and travel destinations. The pavilion also reveals more about medical tourism, novel startups, and off-the-beaten tracks.

The pavilion is showcasing each Iranian province’s strengths and assets in tourism, cultural heritage, handicrafts, as well as its natural sites, traditional ceremonial practices, and historical significance.

Dubai Expo

Expo 2020 originally was scheduled for October 20, 2020 –April 10, 2021, but due to the outbreaks of the coronavirus, the event has been postponed. However, the organizers keep the name Expo 2020 for marketing and branding purposes.

Throughout the years, World Expos have been global events dedicated to sharing top-notch innovation, showcasing ground-breaking inventions, and discovering resolutions to fundamental challenges by facing humanity. They are organized every five years and last for six months.

Many countries and companies are also looking to the expo - the first major global event open to visitors since the coronavirus pandemic - to boost trade and investment.

According to organizers, the Expo, an exhibition of culture, technology, and architecture under the banner “Connecting Minds and Creating the Future”, is expected to be a demonstration of ingenuity, and a place where global challenges such as climate change, conflict, and economic growth can be addressed together.

The Persian Gulf state has relaxed most coronavirus limitations but Expo requires face masks to be worn and for visitors over 18 to be vaccinated against, or test negative for, COVID-19.

Experts expect Iran to achieve a tourism boom after coronavirus contained, believing its impact would be temporary and short-lived for a country that ranked the third fastest-growing tourism destination in 2019.

The Islamic Republic expects to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 26 are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, Iran aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025.

ABU/MG